FlurrySports takes a look at the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9, including New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
If there was ever a week to showcase just how tricky fantasy football and the NFL in general can be, it was Week 8. Six teams were on bye, the Dolphins looked like Super Bowl contenders, the Broncos had both their RB2 and WR2 go off and Bijan Robinson didn’t even score six PPR points. What a crap shoot!
But hey, we are in the business of keeping things positive around here, and two things come to mind quickly: 1) Brian Kelly got himself fired, and 2) the Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire pickups menu looks far more appealing than what we’ve been used to lately! The two being a simultaneous reality have got me over here like:
Alright, let’s get serious here! Only six weeks remain before the start of the Fantasy Football Playoffs, so it’s time to buckle down. As always, we will continue to utilize the latest snap counts, injury news and usage rates from around the league when prioritizing our waiver wire claims. Here are some of our favorite fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target ahead of Week 9.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Tuesday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (20.9%)
The disgustingness that is a week in which six NFL teams are on bye will not need to be endured for the rest of the year. With Week 9 being the subsequent week to the bye week frenzy, an opportunity arises to pick up a quality quarterback who may have been dropped. Sam Darnold fits the bill this week as a plug-and-play option. Yes, he had a clunker going into the bye, but Darnold and the Seahawks’ passing attack have been better than expected overall. He should benefit in Week 9 from facing a Washington defense that ranks 24th in defensive EPA/play and has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (27.5%)
Be it in garbage time or whilst leading an unlikely comeback win over the might Kansas City Chiefs, Trevor Lawrence has found a way to be a relevant QB for fantasy purposes with regularity this season. He has recorded 19+ points in three of seven games to date and has a real chance to find more consistent success as the Jaguars’ new offense continues to improve. A positive matchup awaits Lawrence in Week 9 against a Las Vegas Raiders outfit that ranks 26th in defensive EPA/pass. At the very least, he is among streaming consideration as a fantasy football waiver wire pickups choice this week.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants (42.0%)
Cam Skattebo became the latest fantasy stud to have his season cut short by injury in Week 8. As a result, Tyrone Tracy Jr. is slated to reinsert the keys to the Giants’ backfield moving forward. Sunday’s game was a clear indicator of the separation between Tracy and Devin Singletary as the former played 33 snaps while the latter was only on the field for eight. The Skattebo injury may quiet the trade rumors involving Singletary, but this is Tracy’s gig going forward, regardless of who else is in the fold. He is clearly the top fantasy football waiver wire pickups target at RB this week.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (38.5%)
It will be fun to see how Kyle Monangai’s ownership percentage evolves this week. The correct answer is that it clearly should continue to rise after he played just two fewer snaps than D’Andre Swift in Week 8. This snap count was perhaps even more meaningful than that of the week prior, given that the game was not a blowout. However, the fact that Monangai only turned seven carries into 24 yards on those snaps may put some less savvy box score analysis managers off. Take advantage with your claims, and be sure to monitor whether he is dropped in leagues where he is currently owned.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (36.4%)
After finishing as the RB12 in PPR scoring in Week 8, maybe Tyjae Spears will finally get the widespread ownership bump that we have been calling for seemingly every week. The Titans logo on his helmet may be a red flag for some, but Spears’ workload has continued to remain consistent since making his season debut in Week 5. His nine carries on Sunday were a season-high and only two fewer than Tony Pollard. Spears also outsnapped Pollard 37-33 and found the end zone. He figures to maintain a steady role and fantasy floor in the passing game with Tennessee playing from behind in every game.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders (45.6%)
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the 41-point fantasy scoring output Tre Tucker had in Week 3 will go down as the high point of his season. Since he hasn’t come close to replicating that in the weeks since, his ownership has declined. With the Raiders now coming off a bye, it’s a great time to swoop in and grab him amongst your Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire pickups. Tucker was targeted at least five times in three straight games prior to the bye. That should remain consistent, and if Jakobi Meyers gets traded before the deadline, his target volume could possibly grow even more.
Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (43.5%)
If there was ever a week to start Troy Franklin, it was this past Sunday against the infamous Dallas Cowboys defense. Managers who pulled the trigger were rewarded in a big way as the second-year pro caught six of eight targets, found the end zone twice, and finished as the WR1 on the week with a whopping 26.9 fantasy points. Naturally, we aren’t expecting that kind of performance on a weekly basis amongst a crowded Broncos WR corps. That said, Franklin is clearly the second option at this juncture and has the snap counts and target share to back up that claim.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (30.1%)
While Stefon Diggs remains the most dangerous wideout in New England, Kayshon Boutte continues to be at or very close to the top in terms of snaps played and routes run on a weekly basis. Over the last three weeks, those positive metrics have finally produced some consistent fantasy football success to the tune of 56.1 PPR points, to be exact. Admittedly, it is concerning that Boutte has achieved that output despite only garnering 12 targets. Four touchdowns in three games is not sustainable, but the high execution of the Patriots’ offense appears to be. He needs to be a target among fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (32.9%)
After being the TE darling to begin the season, Juwan Johnson’s numbers slipped a bit and resulted in a significant ownership decline. Fortunately, he looks to be healthier once again and has resumed his target hog ways recently, with 15 balls thrown his way over the last two weeks. Despite the three dud games from Weeks 4-6, Johnson has supplied double-digit PPR points in the other five and ranks as the TE11 in fantasy on the year. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that he has managed this despite only scoring one touchdown. The Saints still stink, so Johnson’s role in the offense won’t be going away anytime soon.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets (20.1%)
Typically, we try to avoid listing players in this fantasy football waiver wire pickups column who are entering a bye week. Mason Taylor is granted an exception this week, and it is for reasons that extend beyond his catching the game-winning touchdown for the Jets on Sunday. He may be a rookie, but Taylor has become a popular target within the Jets’ offense. Over the last five games, he has seen a whopping 39 targets and has found his way to double-digit PPR points on three occasions. The opportunities are no fluke, and he is a nice option to target with the tight end waiver wire being fairly shallow this week.
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